The Ocean's Depths
by Syjack
Summary: PreCurse of the Black Pearl. Right before Jack Sparrow takes Hector Barbossa on as his first mate. And at the moment, a place on board the Pearl is not all Jack and Bootstrap Bill share. Non Slash though. Things get better when Jack enters into the story.


She sat singing alone at the ships head, watching the wave's splash down before her and around the ship. She sat up in the rigging and when asked about this her only reply was, "'tis far more comfortable here then standing there". She would always find some way to sneak out at night when all were suppose to be asleep down below decks waiting in soldier like fashion for the Captain to come and call if you were needed so the Captain would know where you were to be found. Or find some peace in the little sleep you were allowed. This was for the safety of the crew, the passengers, and the Captain so all obeyed. She was lucky she even made it on board. "Women are bad luck aboard ships" they would always call at her if she happened to do something even a little bit amiss. Not that she was a bad or inexperienced crew member, it was not often she made a mistake, far less than any one else, but she was still called on it far worse than any of them could have been. She would always hear "Women breed disloyalty, they make men loose sight of what is important, divide friendships, and cause bitter jealousy". She'd be damned if their prejudice and self importance over good crew made her stay away from the ocean. She would sit at home when she was a little girl and watch its movements, watch it in stormy weathers, watch its fury upon those it chose to unleash it upon, and save those shipwrecked it deemed worthy of saving. It fascinated her beyond the belief of her school teachers, her parents, even the man who was suppose to be her husband. Well, of course now he wouldn't be, not after she ran away with pirates. It was not the proper thing to do. She smiled. She had never been proper or feminine, she was a tomboy though she still had a bit of girl in her, but she never delighted in dresses and men the way her upper-class counterparts had. Their role was to find a good husband and be a mother. That was all fine and dandy, she did love a man who loved her, and she possibly wished to have a child with that man. One of her best friends had done just that and raised a beautiful child, but for the time she would rather run away with the pirates and be free in the vast oceans and seas the world had to offer than sit pretty in family paintings and run a house. At first it was difficult to find a ship that would take a woman, even one who could find food when there was one and handy in a fight, but once she found Tortuga and not the pirate masqueraders the Spanish Main had to offer; she found a ship, and a Captain. The Captain was a good man, one who was quick with a joke, a tale (granted of his heroic efforts and adventures but still… a tale was a tale), and who was notorious for seduction. In most cases he didn't have to use it, but he tried on her. Needless to say it didn't work, but he was good for a laugh, a fun time, and a good Captain. He would defend her against those that were biased to women sailors and women pirates, but we didn't come across those often. She sang the song, and it seemed to echo across the night air, into the sky and fill the silence around her. "Alive, alive ho, Alive, alive ho, crying cockles, and muscles, Alive, Alive ho-"

"You never get tired of that song do you" said the Captain

"I love that song" she replied. He stood looking out into the deep waters of the ocean, the both of them marveling in the hypnotic motions of the water as the ship sailed on into the night. She started singing yet another song, though this time, an old Irish folk song her mother taught her simply would not do. She began humming slowly singing the mournful song, a song of which only few knew its meaning, she was one of them. She started to sing the words softly and growing faintly louder.

", the seas be ours and by the powers where we will we'll roam, Yo ho haul together, hoist the colours high-"

"You shouldn't be singing that song … it isn't the proper time" he replied softly, smiling, "Nor do I hope it ever will be" He gave a fuller cheekier smile, which faded slightly as he turned to look back at the ocean.

"What are you doing out of bed at this time Jack?" He gave her an only half serious grin and then she replied, "Captain Sparrow" she smiled too at their joke.

"It's late, and tomorrow we make port in Tortuga, you should get some sleep" She gasped and quipped back, "You mean I can make port with the salty wenches?"

"You may if you like Mrs. Turner but please do inform me as to the very moment you're…. (he mastered a grown and shook his head) meeting with these wenches might be, though I don't know if your husband would like to not be informed" She climbed down to join Jack and stood beside him.

"I'll see you in the morning Jack, Captain Sparrow (she turned and walked a few paces then said) I hope your first mate search goes well" She moved a few steps forward and climbed the steps downward, her feet brushing against the wooden steps to her and Bootstrap Bill's cabin. She reached out her hand and opened the door. Changed into her white night dress and blew out the candle on her night stand and climbed in, beneath the covers. "Goodnight love" Bill said, then turned around and wrapped his arm protectively around her middle. She smiled and grabbed a hold of his hand and brought it up near her heart, wrapping her arm over his. "Goodnight" On the deck Jack stood staring still, out into the horizon. He didn't move for a long time. He could still smell her here, even could find traces of her hair once he climbed into the exact same spot she had earlier held in the rigging. He hummed the tune and eventually started singing himself the one she had been singing as he approached her here. "She died of a fever, and no one could save her, and that was the end of sweet Molly Malone. Now her ghost wheels her barrow, through streets broad and narrow, crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive oh"!" He remembered when he first heard her sing that tune. She had been but a lonesome sailor, wandering the streets of Tortuga looking for a crew to be a part of. But not just any crew, a pirate crew. Jack had met many women amongst his travel, had been a lover to about half of them maybe more, but his heart did only beat when he heard her name, or of course when he gazed upon the Pearl or the Ocean, but she was the only female whom could ever do anything more than cause him to want to bed her. She was something special, a pearl in the ruff. He had known that for a long time, he had known it the day William Turner, more commonly know as Bootstrap Bill, took her as a bride. Her heart beat for him and him alone. They say she once had another fiancé, some uptight Englishman named Becket, he knew the man of course. Naturally a pirate remembers the one who branded them thus. Jack gazed down at his pirate mark upon his right arm and turned toward the ocean. "What's a botherin ye Jack?" said Gibbs

"Cuttlefish"

"Well best get to bed soon, need an early start on the morrow" and Gibbs headed off with his teddy bear and a bottle of rum, cackling away into the distance. Jack smiled. She preferred Bootstrap to him, said he was a good man and he cared for her more than any sane man would care to admit. He was good for her, but the feeling in Jack's heart never made him able to forget the beautiful creature, that only female that could stop his heart. He took one last look towards the oceans depths then turned to go to bed, alone. For now, at least. He gave the Pearl one last look then turned towards bed, but muttered to the wind, the only other party their to here it; "Good night, Elizabeth"


End file.
